When Marcel Van discovered the rosary

One day, during the family rosary, young Marcel Van (1), who always knelt next to his mother, seemed a little unhappy. Suddenly, he raised his voice and said in a plaintive tone: "Mom, change your prayer, it's boring! You always repeat the same thing!" Nevertheless, his mother encouraged him to keep praying until the end.

She explained to him that the recitation of the Rosary, far from being boring, is a form of praise to the Blessed Virgin that is very pleasing to her and her Son Jesus. From that day, Van no longer complained about that prayer and willingly prayed it as often as he could.

His mother then taught him to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary. This prayer became for him a source of strength that sustained him in his life filled with suffering and trials.

Memoirs of Sister Anne-Marie

From the Bulletin of the Friends of Van, October 2021

Marcel Van (1928-1959) was a Vietnamese Redemptorist religious. Wishing to become a priest at a very young age, he attended a parish priest's school, where he suffered from hunger and mistreatment. He died in a communist prison.